Sapphire Amongst Rubies
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Li Shang has been to the matchmaker's an uncountable number of times, and it was the same old same old girls and personalities. He was getting bored of the so-called 'perfect brides'. But then, Mulan deliberately walks out on the matchmaker, much to Shang's pleasure. Is Mulan the sapphire amongst rubies Shang has longed for? Will it be love? Or will Mulan just turn her back on him?


**Hello, everyone! My name is Cakedecorator, or as most call me, Carly. This is my first time writing for Mulan, so please bear with me on any inaccuracies on the societal rules of Imperial China. I just find it so male chauvinist and I guess it takes a girl like Mulan to tell everyone the truth. **

**Speaking of whom, what if Mulan and Shang met at the **_**matchmaker's**_**? Mulan tells the matchmaker what she truly feels about being a bride, and a bored Shang, after witnessing her boldness, falls for her. He then chases after her, but while Mulan tries turning down his advances, he keeps up his efforts.**

* * *

It had been the umpteenth time that month; at the insistence of his father, young Li Shang was stuck, sitting in the lobby at that witch of a matchmaker's place. He saw how she acted: pompous, self-righteous, always acting as if she KNEW what men want in a bride.

Honestly, he even wondered if girls were all the same: quiet, passive, obedient, and practically at the mercy of their families and husbands. It was like walking into a jewelry shop that carried the exact same product _every darn day_, and nothing new and different.

"Father, do we _have_ to be here?" Shang complained.

"Son, you're at the age where you are to start considering marriage. There are plenty of young, perfect women here. All quiet, pale, obedient; PERFECT for providing me with a grandson!" His father, General Li, said, sitting next to his son.

"That's just it," Shang said. "They're all the same; there's just nothing unique about any of them except their facial features, and I wish there was a girl who would stand up for herself… Won't there ever be a sapphire amongst rubies?"

General Li merely rolled his eyes at his son; all girls were _supposed_ to be quiet, passive, and demure, not outspoken and independent. According to tradition, any girl who was deemed unsuited for marriage was a disgrace; a woman not meant to honor her family.

Or so he thought.

It was the same old thing, as usual: the same old tests, the same old results. Shang actually fell asleep and was on the verge of snoring out of pure boredom when he was about to get a surprise.

Fa Mulan, daughter of the esteemed Fa Zhao, entered the building, and she was nervous. She flunks this, and she would be ashamed forever.

"Fa Mulan." The matchmaker said.

"Fa?" General Li said aloud. "Could it be…?"

Shang suddenly woke up, as he knew the name; he just forgot where he had heard it before.

Young Mulan then came in, and Shang rolled his eyes; he thought for sure that she would be just like all of the others.

After the physical examination, to which Shang ignored, as he knew it would be the same as usual, when the Matchmaker then asked, "Recite the final admonition."

Mulan nodded, and then she covered her face with her fan before she spat something out, although Shang could not hear it.

"Fulfill your duties calmly, and…" Mulan began, but she stopped speaking all of a sudden.

Shang suddenly got interested when Mulan stopped speaking.

"Fa Mulan, why did you stop?" The matchmaker said.

"Permission to speak, please?" Mulan asked.

Shang certainly did not see this coming. A potential bride, not doing her test was certainly unexpected, not that he did not like it. In fact, he found it intriguing and unique.

"Of course." The matchmaker said.

"Are you _sure_ that you know what _all men_ want in a bride?" Mulan asked, putting her fan down, and scowling.

Shang's eyes widened. Of all of the girls he had seen at the matchmaker's, he had never laid eyes on something like this.

"Of course! What makes you say that? Are you questioning what is expected of you?" The matchmaker said.

"No disrespect, but there's a difference between trying to please someone, and just putting on a mask for your whole life," Mulan said, as she dropped her fan. "And if wearing a façade, and hiding who you truly are for eternity is what it takes to be a bride, if that's what honors the family, then I don't _want_ to get married."

"What are you saying?" The matchmaker said, getting angry.

Shang was then a witness to something that made his heart skip a beat: Mulan wiped the makeup off of her face with her sleeve, and untied her hair, letting it cascade down her back. Shang was astonished; she was more beautiful without the makeup, and she was much cuter with her hair down.

"I won't go through with this if it means throwing away my own heart." Mulan said, as she then turned her back on the matchmaker, and left the building.

"Hmph," General Li said. "She'll never honor her family with a personality like that."

However, Shang was actually pleased with Mulan's performance. He then got up out of his seat, not listening to his father, and then he approached the matchmaker.

"Excuse me, who was she?" Shang asked.

"That girl? That's Fa Mulan, Fa Zhou and Fa Li's daughter. She's not bride material!" The matchmaker said.

"Don't say that about her!" Shang protested. "She's… perfect."

"Huh?!" General Li said, astonished.

Shang, lovestruck, then ran out of the door to chase after Mulan, only to see her long, flowing hair escape from him as she was leading her horse back to her house, with her mother and grandmother in tow.

"You mean to tell me Zhao raised a girl like _her?_" General Li roared at the matchmaker, as he walked out of the building.

"Zhao? Wasn't he a war colleague and friend of yours?" Shang asked.

"Yes. What a disgrace that girl is…" General Li said.

"I told you not to talk about her like that!" Shang shouted, as he mounted his horse, and started going after Mulan.

He soon caught up with her, and then he demounted his horse, before calling out, "Wait!"

Li, Grandma Fa, and Mulan then turned to Shang, with curious looks on their faces.

"Wooh! Maybe that matchmaker wasn't needed." Grandma Fa said, impressed by Shang's appearance.

Mulan said nothing, as Shang approached her, with a nervous look on his face, and his hand behind his head.

"I… I saw you at the matchmaker's…" Shang said, struggling to strike up conversation.

Mulan's face then turned into a scowl as she said, "What of it?"

"You were… amazing." Shang said.

Mulan's face then turned into surprise, as did Li and Grandma Fa's.

Shang then took Mulan's hands, and he looked into her eyes as if there was no tomorrow. However, Mulan's face became sad, and she pulled her hands away, before saying, "You're just trying to cheer me up for my deliberate failure, aren't you?"

"No, not at all! I saw the whole thing, and I loved it!" Shang said, but Mulan had already turned her back on him.

"Come on, Khan," Mulan said. "Let's go home…"

Mulan then started leading her horse back to her house, and left Shang behind, leaving him heartbroken. However, his face regained confidence, and then he kept leading his horse to find his beloved, only for his father to interrupt.

"Son, mount your horse; we're visiting Zhao!" General Li said, happily.

Shang smiled, too; he knew it was a chance to meet Mulan again.

He mounted his horse, and then he took the lead in the chase, while his father was coming after him.

"Wait up, son!" General Li said.

Remembering the beauty and silkiness of Mulan's hair, Shang followed his eyes. Catching sight of her entering the gates of her home, he immediately stopped his horse to allow his father to catch up with him. Shang certainly did NOT want to make it seem like he followed Mulan home, which would have been humiliating for him.

"Glad I caught up with you, son," General Li said. "It's been quite some time seen I've seen Zhao; I can't wait to play catch up."

"As much as I can't wait to see his daughter again." Shang admitted.

"She's really stolen your heart, hasn't she?" General Li said, as he knew he could not stop his son from falling in love.

Knocking on the door, Zhao answered it, and soon smiled, as he said, "General Li! What a surprise!"

Li and Zhao hugged happily, knowing that seeing their old friend was always pleasant. After sharing in their hug, Zhao shouted inside, "Mother, Li, Mulan! Get some tea and snacks ready! We've got company!"

A few minutes later, Li and Grandma Fa were sitting on their knees at the table while General Li and Zhao were sitting across from each other, talking and remembering the old times they had. Meanwhile, Mulan was pouring the tea, while an infatuated Shang was staring at her, with all of the love in his eyes.

Mulan seemed to pick this up, but she merely turned her face away from him as she kept pouring tea.

"Permission to leave?" Mulan asked, standing up.

"Of course; let's let the men have some privacy." Grandma Fa said.

Mulan then left for the gardens, and seeing the love of his life leaving, Shang stood up, and following after her, he asked, "Hey, wait up!"

Seeing them both gone, General Li then told Zhao, "Your daughter seems to have caught my son's eye."

"And after my mother told me Mulan walked out on the matchmaker, it seems love will bloom for Mulan anyways." Zhao said, happy to see someone was in love with Mulan.

Out in the gardens, Mulan was about to walk to her temple when Shang caught up with her, and grabbed her hands.

"What is it?" Mulan asked. "Are you just following me to get to my father?"

"No, not at all!" Shang said, as he turned Mulan to face him. "I was impressed with your performance at the matchmaker's today. It's about time a girl stood up for what she thought was right."

"Oh… Thank you," Mulan said, diverting her eyes away from Shang. "I still don't know your name, though."

"D'oh! Where are my manners?" Shang said, thumping his forehead with the palm of his hand. "My name is Shang. Li Shang."

"Um…" Mulan began, but she soon looked down. Shang then wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer.

"You're not just beautiful, but you're unlike any other girl I've met." Shang said, as he was about to lean in for a kiss.

"I'm not sure whether or not I should be upset by that comment." Mulan said, surprising Shang.

"But being unlike the girls my father tried pairing me up with… Is what I like about you." Shang said, blushing while putting his hand behind his head.

Mulan was still not convinced, and she started to shed tears.

Shang was about to wipe them away, but he found himself asking, "What's wrong?"

Mulan then took her hands away again, and turned her back on him before singing, _"Trying to be the perfect bride… Is like wearing a mask every day… It doesn't suit me… But it brings family honor anyway…"_

Shang then took the next line without thinking, _"Every girl I've ever met, every time I went to that matchmaking witch; they were all the same, few choices could be made, but when I saw you, it all changed…"_

Not listening, Mulan then continued, _"It's just not fair…"_

"_I love your hair…" _Shang sang in response, gently combing his hand through Mulan's long hair.

"_My heart and soul, I'm forced to hide." _Mulan sang.

"_Why should they shape you into a 'perfect bride'?"_ Shang sang, as he took Mulan by the shoulders, feeling entranced further by her.

Mulan did not sing, as she was too comfortable in the position she was in. Shang turned her around, but Mulan did not show him her face, but Shang put his hand on Mulan's cheek, as he felt Yue-Lao's magic overtake him, despite the moon not being out.

"_You're only wearing a mask! You're not being who you're born to be!" _Shang sang.

"_Why do you care so much about me?"_ Mulan sang, also half-asking Shang this question.

"_My heart beats for you! My feelings are pure and true!" _Shang sang, before continuing. _"'Perfect bride', my foot! I can let my heart choose!"_

"_Putting on this mask my whole life; it's just not right." _Mulan sang, as she then turned to Shang with a small smile.

"_As soon as the makeup came off, it was love at first sight…"_ Shang sang, as he smiled widely, seeing Mulan smiling at him for the first time.

They then joined their hands together, and then they smiled at each other, as they both sang, _"Being true to our hearts. We're meant to be."_

Shang then got down on one knee, and then he held Mulan's hands, singing, _"My darling Mulan, will you marry me?"_

Mulan then jumped on Shang, and kissed him on the cheek multiple times, so happy to have finally brought honor to her family with her engagement, and then Shang got up, and both he and Mulan shared a deep, passionate kiss.

Mulan's family and Shang's father were watching from the house, and Grandma Fa said, "I _knew_ Mulan didn't need that witchy matchmaker!"

"I guess Mulan had the right idea, walking out on her like that." Zhao said.

"Well, Zhao my friend, it looks like our children are going to be wed! What joy!" General Li said, as he and Zhao shook hands.

There was an immediate scene transition to Shang and Mulan's wedding, which happened the next week. They were in traditional Chinese wedding attire, and they had just completed the vows, and had immediately proceeded with the kiss.

Shang then carried Mulan bridal-style to the horse, to which he helped her mount on, before mounting on his, before the newlyweds had their horses race to get out of the village for their honeymoon.


End file.
